7 Expert Tips to Get Your Kid Reading More

Your child’s teacher says your kiddo needs to read 20 or 30 minutes every night. If you’ve got a reluctant reader on your hands, you might think: OMG! It’s such a battle every night, full of eye rolls every time you utter the word “homework.” The struggle is real when kids have jam-packed schedules and books are their least favorite “toys.” To help you out, we checked in with Literacy Specialist Andrea Lorelli Vinson for some easy tips to get your kids to fall in love with reading.

How to Get Your Kids to Love Reading

1. Tie it to technology. Kids love technology, and reading interactive books online can be fun. Check out Scholastic Books’ huge selection, or there are also numerous apps to choose from. Check with your child’s teacher for their independent reading level and choose a level they can read on their own. Remember, they are reading for fun, so it shouldn’t be challenging.

2. Make it high interest. Choose material that is interesting to them. If your tween is crushing on Beiber or in love with Taylor Swift, buy them magazines that will keep them up to date on all the latest news. They will do more than look at the photos. Andrea tells us, “You can’t have TV be the candy and books be the broccoli. It’s our job as parents to make books the candy!”

3. Think outside the book. Have your child read a recipe to you or help you generate a shopping list on your phone. For beginning readers, give them your coupons. They have to find the product and cross it off the list. Throw in an item that is fun, like a bag of chips or cookies.

4. Read to them. Take turns reading, either page by page, or chapter by chapter. It’s your chance to be creative with your voice!

5. Be a good role model. Andrea suggests that you let your child catch you reading. “There’s a reason why children love screens so much. When they see their parents on their phones and iPads all the time, they think it’s the cool thing to do. If they see you reading, even if it’s just a magazine or a newspaper, that’s a positive example.”

6. Create a snugly, inviting place to read. Build a fort and stock it with pillows and stuffed animals or characters from books. Throw in a flashlight for reading a scary book in the dark.

7. Publish their work. Record or film your child reading or singing. If they love the songs from Frozen, print out the words for them to have when they sing along. Send the video to grandparents and save it to embarrass them later on!

Do you have any tips or tricks for making reading fun? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know!

Audrey is a health and wellness enthusiast obsessed with helping people become their best selves and pursue happiness. She spent several years in the classroom teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Now, you can find her working one on one with families and children with special needs. When she is not working with kiddos, she is at the Crossfit gym coaching classes, or working on her fitness. She loves bacon and anything involving multiple shots of espresso.